Indoor Coil Adapter

ABSTRACT

An adapter for controlling airflow between a first element and a second element in an air conditioning system is provided including a frame having a first frame piece and a second frame piece. A portion of the second frame piece overlaps the first frame piece. The second frame piece slides relative to the first frame piece making a dimension of the frame adjustable. An upper portion of the frame attaches about an end of the first element and a lower portion of the frame attaches about an end of the second element.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/647,618 filed May 16, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to heating and cooling systems and, more particularly, to a connection of an indoor coil within such heating and cooling systems.

Air conditioning and heat pump systems include two major components, an outdoor unit and an indoor coil. Within the system, the indoor coil is typically positioned directly downstream from an outlet of a furnace, such as a gas furnace for example. In some air conditioning and heat pump systems, the outlet of the furnace outlet is not the same size as the inlet of the adjacent indoor coil. Most commonly, the width of the indoor coil inlet is larger than the width of the furnace outlet, thereby allowing air to escape at the junction between the two. This difference in size results in an undesirable airflow through the indoor coil because the airflow is concentrated in areas across the coil.

During installation of such a system, a mechanic must develop a means for mating the furnace outlet with the indoor coil inlet at the installation site. One solution is to create “block-off” or filler plates from sheet metal to prevent air escaping from the system. Though installation of “block off” plates may prevent a leak in the airflow, this on-site process is time consuming, and customers find this solution aesthetically displeasing because the “block-off” plates do not match the look of the adjacent system components. In addition, the use of block off plates often exacerbates the size difference problems resulting in an undesirable airflow through the indoor coil because the airflow is concentrated in areas across the coil.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to an embodiment of the invention, an adapter for controlling airflow between a first element and a second element in an air conditioning system is provided including a frame having a first frame piece and a second frame piece. A portion of the second frame piece overlaps the first frame piece. The second frame piece slides relative to the first frame piece making a dimension of the frame adjustable. An upper portion of the frame attaches about an end of the first element and a lower portion of the frame attaches about an end of the second element.

According to yet another embodiment of the invention, a system is provided including a furnace and an indoor coil located directly downstream from the furnace. An adapter includes a first frame piece and a second frame piece. A portion of the second frame piece overlaps the first frame piece. The second frame piece slides relative to the first frame piece making a dimension of the frame adjustable. An upper portion of the frame attaches about an end of the first element and a lower portion of the frame attaches about an end of the second element.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method for installing an adapter between a first component and a second component in a system is provided including adjusting the adapter to a size of an end of a first component. A fastener is then inserted through a plurality of aligned holes of the adapter. The adapter is connected about an end of the second component. Additional fasteners are then inserted through the remainder of the plurality of aligned holes of the adapter. The adapter is then connected about an end of the first component.

These and other advantages and features will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The subject matter, which is regarded as the invention, is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an HVAC system;

FIGS. 2 a-2 d are front views of exemplary furnace and indoor coil interfaces;

FIG. 3 is an exemplary furnace and indoor coil interface according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an indoor coil adapter in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an indoor coil adapter in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an indoor coil adapter in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an indoor coil adapter in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of an indoor coil adapter assembled in an HVAC system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 9 is a method for installing an indoor coil adapter in an HVAC system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, an illustrated heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system 20 includes an outdoor air conditioner or heat pump unit 30. Disposed within the building is a furnace 45. An indoor coil 40 is positioned directly adjacent the furnace 45 such that the indoor coil 40 is generally aligned with the furnace 45. The air conditioner/heat pump 30, connected to the indoor coil 40 refrigerant lines 35, heats or cools the air A passing over the indoor coil 40 before it is distributed. A supply duct 50 carries the air A from the indoor coil to various parts of the building which the HVAC system 20 serves. As the air A is distributed to the atmosphere of the building, air A will either absorb heat to cool the atmosphere or release heat to warm the atmosphere. Air that has undergone this release or absorption of heat is designated as A′. Air A′ returns to the HVAC system 20 through an intake vent 55. The air A′ travels through a main return duct 60 which delivers the air A′ back to the furnace 45. In one embodiment, an adapter 100 provides an interface between the furnace 45 and the indoor coil 40 to ensure that airflow is not lost between the two components.

With reference to FIG. 2, the size of the inlet to the indoor coil 40 and the placement of the indoor coil 40 may vary relative to the furnace 45. In some applications, as illustrated in FIG. 2 a, the indoor coil 40 and the furnace 45 may be equal in size and aligned. In these applications, the exemplary adapter 100 has a generally rectangular cross section. In other HVAC applications, the inlet of the indoor coil 40 can be larger than the outlet of the furnace 45. The oversized indoor coil 40 may be centered relative to the furnace (FIG. 2 b), such that air gaps are present on both sides of the indoor coil 40. In such applications, the adapter 100 has a cross-section of a generally isosceles trapezoid to prevent a loss of airflow between the furnace 45 and the indoor coil 40. In even other HVAC applications, the oversized indoor coil 40 may be offset to one side of the furnace 45 (see FIGS. 2 c and 2 d). In such applications, an exemplary adapter 100 is used to prevent a loss of airflow between the indoor coil 40 and the furnace 45. The cross-section of an adapter 100 used with an offset indoor coil 40 is a generally right angle trapezoid. The same adapter 100 may accommodate an offset in either a first direction or a second, opposite direction. The oversized indoor coil 40 is centered relative to the furnace (FIG. 2 b), such that air gaps are present on both sides of the indoor coil 40. Referring to FIG. 3, systems having an oversized air coil 40 offset to one side and an adapter 100, may include an indoor air quality device (IAQ) 80 installed in the gap formed between the furnace 45 and the main return duct 60.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-6, multiple embodiments of the adapter 100 are illustrated. An exemplary adapter 100, illustrated in FIG. 4, is designed for use in an HVAC system 20 where the indoor coil 40 and the furnace 45 have the same width (See FIG. 2 a). The adapter 100 consists of a frame made from a first frame piece 102 and a second frame piece 140. The first frame piece 102 has a first wall 105 and a first arm 106 and a second arm 108 connected to and extending generally perpendicularly from the first wall 105 in a general C-shape. In one embodiment, the first arm 106 and the second arm 108 are the same length. In one embodiment, the first frame piece 102 is made from a single piece. In another embodiment, the first arm 106 and the second arm 108 are separate pieces bonded to the first wall 105, such as by welding or brazing for example. A flange 110 extends along the top edge of the first frame piece 102 and a second flange 115 extends along the bottom edge of the first frame piece 102, opposite the top edge. The flanges 110, 115 may be formed integrally with the first frame piece 102, or alternately, may be additional pieces mounted to the first frame piece 102. Disposed near the free end of the first arm 106 and the second arm 108 are a plurality of holes 120, 125 extending from the top edge to the bottom edge of the first frame piece 102.

The second frame piece 140 includes a second wall 142. A third arm 144 and a fourth arm 146 extend generally perpendicularly from opposing sides of first wall 142 in a general C-shape. In one embodiment, the third arm 144 and the fourth arm 146 are the same length. In one embodiment the third arm 144 has a length equal to or shorter than the length of the first arm 106, and the fourth arm 146 has a length equal to or shorter than the length of the second arm 108. Similar to the first frame piece 102, a flange 145 extends along the top edge of the second frame piece 140 and a second flange 150 extends along the bottom edge of the second frame piece 140, opposite the top edge. A plurality of holes 155 and 160 are disposed across the length and height of the third arm 144 and fourth arm 146 respectively.

When assembled, a portion of the top flange 145 is adjacent top flange 110 and a portion of the bottom flange 150 is adjacent bottom flange 115 such that movement of the second frame piece 140 is limited by the top and bottom flanges 110, 115 of the first frame piece 102. The third arm 144 is located adjacent the first arm 106 and the fourth arm 146 is disposed adjacent the second arm 108. Assembled, at least a portion of the first arm 106 and the third arm 144 overlap and at least a portion of the second arm 108 and the fourth arm 146 overlap. The second frame piece 140 is slidable relative to the first frame piece 102 to vary the overlap between the sets of arms. By sliding the second frame piece 140 relative to the first frame piece 102, the length of the generally rectangular adapter 100 is varied for each application. When the second frame piece 140 is in the correct position relative to the first frame piece 102 for an application, a fastener 175 is inserted through aligned holes 120 and 155, and similarly aligned holes 125 and 160. In one embodiment, screws are used to connect the first frame piece 102 and the second frame piece 140. Flanges 110, 145 create an upper lip around the adapter 100 for engagement with an end of the indoor coil 40. A portion of flanges 110, 145 extend in the direction of the indoor coil 40 to limit the movement of the adapter 100 relative to the indoor coil 40 when being attached. Similarly, flanges 115, 150 create a lower lip around the adapter 100 for engagement with an end of the furnace 45. A portion of flanges 115, 150 extend in the direction of the furnace 45 to properly locate the adapter 100 relative to the furnace 45 when installing the adapter 100.

Referring now to FIG. 5, an exemplary adapter 100 is illustrated for use in an HVAC system where the indoor coil 40 is offset from the furnace 45. In one embodiment, the second wall 142 of the adapter 100 is at an angle to the plane of first wall 105 to compensate for the offset between the furnace 45 and the indoor coil 40. Referring now to FIG. 6, an exemplary adapter 100 is illustrated for use in an HVAC system where an oversized indoor coil 40 is centered relative to the furnace 45 such that air flow escapes from both sides of the indoor coil 40. In one embodiment, the adapter 100 includes an angled first wall 105 and an angled second wall 142. The angle of the first wall 105 and the second wall 142 may be equal, or alternately the angle of the first wall 105 may differ from the angle of the second wall 142.

In an alternate embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 7, the adapter 200 may consist of four generally L-shaped frame pieces 202, 220, 240, 260. Each of the four frame pieces includes a first arm and a second arm. In addition, a top flange and a bottom flange extend along the top edge and bottom edge of each frame piece for engagement as described in the previous embodiments. The top flange 208 and the bottom flange 210 of the first arm 204 of the first frame piece 202 slidably engage a top flange 226 and a bottom flange 228 of a first arm 222 of the second frame piece 220. Similarly, the top flange 246 and the bottom flange 248 of the first arm 204 of the third frame piece 240 slidably engage a top flange 266 and a bottom flange 268 of a first arm 262 of the fourth frame piece 260. A top flange 212 and a bottom flange 214 of a second arm 206 of the first frame piece 202 slidably engage a top flange 270 and a bottom flange 272 of a second arm 264 of the fourth frame piece 260. Lastly, a top flange 230 and a bottom flange 232 of a second arm 224 of the second frame piece 220 slidably engage a top flange 250 and a bottom flange 252 of a second arm 244 of the third frame piece 240. Fasteners 275 may be used to hold adjacent arms in a desired position relative to one another. Together, the first, second, third, and fourth frame pieces 202, 220, 240, 260 form an overlapping frame having an adjustable length and width. An adapter 200 adjustable in two dimensions may be used with any size indoor coil 40 and furnace 45.

Referring now to FIGS. 8-9 a method 200 is provided for connecting an adapter 100 to an HVAC system. To connect an adapter 100 to an HVAC system 20, the length of the adapter 100 is adjusted to match the size of the outlet of the furnace 45 in block 202. In block 204, a fastener 175 is inserted through an aligned hole 120 and hole 155 of an overlapping first arm 106 and the third arm 144. Similarly, a fastener is inserted through an aligned hole 125 and hole 160 of an overlapping second arm 108 and fourth arm 146 to retain the position of the second frame piece 140 relative to the first frame piece 102. The adapter 100 is connected to the indoor coil 40, in block 206, by inserting a portion of flanges 110 and 145 into the indoor coil 40. In position, the edge of the adapter 100 should be flush with the edge of the indoor coil 40. In block 208, additional fasteners 175 are inserted through aligned holes 120 and 155, and aligned holes 125 and 160 to maintain the position of the first frame piece 102 and the second frame piece 140 relative to each other. Once the additional fasteners 175 are attached, the adapter 100 is then connected to the outlet of furnace 45 in block 210. In one embodiment, tape or mastic may additionally be used to seal the interface between the furnace 45 and the adapter 100 and the interface between the adapter 100 and the indoor coil 40.

Because at least one dimension of the adapter 100, 200 is adjustable, each adapter 100, 200 is compatible for use with a plurality of standard size furnaces, such as furnaces having a width of 14 3/16 inches, 17½ inches, and 24½ inches for example. The adapter 100 may be used in retrofit and modernization applications, such as when a new shorter furnace is installed in the system. The adapter 100 additionally improves the effectiveness of the system by causing the air to spread more evenly from the furnace to the indoor coil 40. Using adapter 100 reduces the installation time of the system because the installer of the air conditioning system will no longer need to fabricate “block-off” plates or custom sheet metal transition at the job site. Also, the overall system will have a more professional look once the adapter 100 is installed because the adapter is manufactured using steel pre-painted the same color as the other system components.

While the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims. 

1. An adapter for controlling airflow between a first element and a second element in an air conditioning system comprising: a frame including a first frame piece and a second frame piece, wherein a portion of the second frame piece overlaps a portion of the first frame piece, the second frame piece being slidable relative to the first frame piece, such that a dimension of the frame is adjustable; wherein an upper portion of the frame attaches about an end of the first element and a lower portion of the frame attaches about an end of the second element.
 2. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the frame is adjustable to a plurality of sizes of either the first or second element.
 3. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the first element is an indoor coil and the second element is a furnace.
 4. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein, when an inlet of the first element is equal to an outlet of the second element, a cross-section of the frame is generally rectangular.
 5. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein when an inlet of the first element is larger than an outlet of the second element, a cross-section of the frame is generally trapezoidal.
 6. The adapter according to claim 3, where the first element if offset from the second element, the cross-section of the frame is a right angle trapezoid.
 7. The adapter according to claim 3, wherein the first element is centrally aligned with the second element, the cross-section of the frame is an isosceles trapezoid.
 8. A system comprising: a furnace; an indoor coil positioned directly downstream from the furnace; and an adapter for connecting the furnace to the indoor coil, the adapter having a first frame piece and a second frame piece; wherein a portion of the second frame piece overlaps a portion of the first frame piece, the second frame piece being slidable relative to the first frame piece, such that a dimension of the frame is adjustable; wherein an upper portion of the adapter attaches about an end of the first element and a lower portion of the adapter attaches about an end of the second element.
 9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the frame is adjustable to a plurality of sizes of a second element.
 10. The adapter according to claim 8, wherein when an inlet of the indoor coil is equal to an outlet of the furnace, a cross-section of the frame is generally rectangular.
 11. The adapter according to claim 8, wherein when an inlet of the indoor coil is larger than an outlet of the furnace, a cross-section of the frame is generally trapezoidal.
 12. The adapter according to claim 11, wherein when the indoor coil is offset from the furnace, the cross-section of the frame is a right angle trapezoid.
 13. The adapter according to claim 12, wherein when the indoor coil is centrally aligned with the furnace, the cross-section of the frame is an isosceles trapezoid.
 14. A method for installing an adapter between a first component and a second component in a system: adjusting the adapter to match an end of the first component inserting a fastener through a plurality of aligned holes of the adapter; connecting the adapter about an end of the second component; inserting additional fasteners through the plurality of aligned holes of the adapter; and connecting the adapter about an end of the first component.
 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the adapter is adjusted by sliding an overlapping second frame piece relative to a first frame piece.
 16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the fastener is inserted through aligned holes of a first frame piece and a second frame piece adjacent a bottom portion of the adapter.
 17. The method according to claim 14, wherein an upper portion of the adapter connects to about end of the second component.
 18. The method according to claim 14, wherein a lower portion of the adapter connects about an end of the first component. 